Chimpanzee attack victim Charla Nash after the attack, left, and after her face transplant surgery, right. Nash was mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009. / Brigham and Women's Hospital, Lightchaser Photo, via AP

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

Wildlife attacks on humans in the USA, such as this week's mauling of an intern at a California sanctuary, are relatively rare, but when they occur, the results are often tragic, ranging from severe disfiguration to death.

An autopsy found that Dianna Hanson, 24, an intern at the Cat Haven sanctuary in Dunlap, Calif., died instantly from a broken neck Tuesday after a 4-year-old lion, Cous Cous, escaped from his cage and attacked her.

"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage. The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion to lift it up with his paw," said Fresno County Coroner David Hadden, The Fresno Bee reports. "He ran at the young lady."

It was the latest wildlife attack on humans in the USA over the past decade.

In one of the most horrendous attacks before a live audience, Dawn Brancheau, 40, a senior trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, was dragged underwater and drowned by a 12,300-pound killer whale named Tilikum. A video released by SeaWorld San Diego showed a similar attack on a trainer in 2006.

In 2009, Charla Nash was visiting a friend in Stamford, Conn., when she was attacked by the friend's male chimpanzee named Travis. The Hartford Courant reported. Nash, 55, lost her eyes, nose, face and hands in the attack and underwent extensive reconstruction surgery.

The 200-pound chimp, which had appeared in films and commercials, was shot and killed by police during the incident.

Three teens were mauled, and one died, in 2007 when a Siberian tiger named Tatiana escaped her enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo. Police shot and killed the animal. Police said the teens had been drinking and smoking marijuana and had taunted the animal, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. In 2006, Tatiana attacked a zoo worker and chewed off her arm, the Chronicle notes.

In 2008, animal trainer Stephan Miller died of a neck bite from a 5-year-old grizzly named Rocky who attacked during the filming of a promotional video. Miler was working with the bear at Predator's in Action in Big Bear Lake, Calif., which trains animals for movies.

Miller's cousin, Randy, who owns the training center, said Rocky was trained to wrestle with experienced handlers. "It's a playful behavior brought out on cue," he said.

But when Rocky, who had appeared in the Will Ferrell film Semi-Pro, suddenly bit his cousin in the neck, "it hit him in a very vulnerable spot. If it had hit his arm or something it would have been bad," but it wouldn't have cost him his life, Miller said.

"It happened so fast," he said. "We did what we had to do to stop the bear. It took a matter of seconds to get him off, but it was too late." Handlers used pepper spray to subdue the bear.

Paramedics arriving shortly after the initial emergency call were unable to revive Stephan.

An employee at the Elephant Sanctuary, in Hohenwald, Tenn. died in 2008 while watering elephants Sissy and Winkie.

Caregiver Joanna Burke was looking at Winkie's swollen right eye from about 15 feet away, as Sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais stood in front of the elephants. Winkie turned, took a step and swung her trunk into Burke, who was knocked down, Blais said.

Winkie stepped on Burke's chest, killing her, he said. Winkie then struck him with her trunk and kicked him. Blais was bruised and suffered a fractured left ankle.

In 2006, 34-year-old animal handler Peter Getz died after being mauled by a 1,000-pound lion-tiger at Safari's Animal Sanctuary in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Getz was feeding the hybrid cat, called a liger, and accidentally pushed its head back, Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert told USA TODAY.

The cat grabbed the handler's arm and pulled him into the pen. Other employees used mace to get the cat to release Getz, Colbert said.

In Alaska, in 2003, bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, 46, and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, 37, both of Malibu, Calif., were killed by coastal grizzlies after living among them at Katmai National Park for about 13 seasons.

Treadwell, co-author of Among Grizzlies: Living With Wild Bears in Alaska, spent more than a dozen summers living alone with Katmai bears and videotaping them. He was featured in the documentary Grizzly Man.

In 2002, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy was severely injured when a 600-pound white Bengal tiger bit him in the neck and dragged him from the stage during a show in Las Vegas, CNN reported.

Horn has said the tiger got confused after Horn had fallen onstage and was attempting to drag him to safety, as a tiger would protect her cub.

There have been similar attacks in other countries. Perhaps the most famous involved "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin who died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray's poisonous spine while filming in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Contributing: Associated Press

Note: The original version of this post transposed the location of the incidents that took place in Hohenwald, Tenn., and Broken Arrow, Okla.